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But under new regulations, which came into force yesterday, ponies that are sold will have to be issued with a full ID document before they can go off to a new home and a future, according to Charlotte Faulkner, who runs the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association.

Dartmoor ponies

“As part of preparations for Brexit, EU regulation related to horse passports has been rewritten and presented to Parliament as UK regulation,” Ms Faulkner said.

This regulation applies to the genetically rare semi-wild pony herds of Dartmoor – a central part of hill-farming tradition and culture, essential to tourism.

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It was due to be ratified by Parliament on October 1.

Ms Faulkner said: “I have been writing to Defra Equine ID for more than two years asking to hold discussions about errors in the wording of the regulation, which will result in our semi-wild herds being probably being shot as there is no way of getting them off the moor.”

Peter Farnsworth, a partner with Rendells, which runs the annual sale, said they already had more than 200 ponies entered for this year’s sale.

The cute foal (Image: Richard Austin)

“We’ll end up with 250 to 300, which is 50 more than last year,” he said.

Mr Farnsworth is hoping for a meeting with Defra officials on Tuesday.

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Ms Faulkner said: “The 2018 regulations require that a foal for who the hammer goes down as sold in the auction pen must be fully passported before it has finished walking across the field and into the new owner’s transport.

“This would require the passport issuing office, Pet ID, one of the country’s biggest issuers of animal passports, to move their specialist equipment which produces plastic-covered tamper-proof passports, from their office in West Sussex to a field in Chagford for one day.

Dartmoor ponies in the snow at Haytor (Image: Bridget Batchelor)

“We have workable processes for passporting that have been in place successfully since 2009.

“The iconic hill ponies of Dartmoor – scientifically proven to be unique and rare – will disappear from the moors because the government is issuing new legislation which will sign their death sentence as impossible to fulfil for semi wild ponies.

Dartmoor ponies appeared to be queuing for an ice cream during the heatwave